In this week's Podcast: Buying queens for replacement or increase can be a very expensive pastime, why not instead, consider raising a few home grown queens. It not that tricky and can be hugely rewarding. Listen in to hear how I’m approaching our queen rearing this year. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 349 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways: Early Releas...
Jul 06, 2025•19 min•Season 1Ep. 349
In this week's Podcast: Are you letting your colonies starve as you take off the Spring honey crop? Now’s the time to check. Also, Drone laying queens and Egg laying workers feature in this week’s chat. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 348 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways: Early Release & Additional Video and Podcast Content - Access Here Stewart's B...
Jun 29, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 348
In this week's Podcast: I'm joined by Natalie Armstrong, Inventor and Designer of the awardwinning Hive-Five Multiguard Bee hive Entrance to discuss the entrance and how it is used. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 347 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Check out the Hive Five Multiguard here Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways: Early Release & Additional Video and Podcast Content - Access Here Stewart's Beekeeping Bas...
Jun 22, 2025•29 min•Season 1Ep. 347
In this week's Podcast: I’ve seen plenty of queen cells over the last week, but there are some that look different to the others. I’m referring to swarm cells and emergency cells, both queen cells, both perfectly usable, but both different in their own way. listen in to hear my thoughts on these and other beekeeping fun. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 346 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ...
Jun 15, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 346
In this week's Podcast: How often do you inspect your honeybee colonies, weekly, every ten days because you’ve clipped the queens? How about every six or even every five days? Well, this last week I’ve looked at some of my hives at five day intervals, listen in to hear why, and what I found. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 345 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways: Early Release & Addi...
Jun 08, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 345
In this week's Podcast: I’ve seen the first signs of this seasons swarming activity and we’ve even had a couple of colonies throw up queen cells. For me, it’s perfect timing and those swarm cells are always fantastic to use in splits and other swarm management techniques. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 344 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways: Early Release & Additional Video and Pod...
Jun 01, 2025•17 min•Season 1Ep. 344
In this week's Podcast: Happy Easter everyone, Spring has sprung and our colonies are developing nicely. Brood nest areas are growing and, if you overfed your colonies in late Winter, you may find they're lacking a little space. Maybe it's time to consider adding another box! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 343 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways: Early Release & Additional Video and...
May 25, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 343
In this week's Podcast: I’m back after my visit to the Harper Adams University in Shropshire for the annual British Beekeepers Association , Spring Convention, and what a great time it was. Details of my trip coming up and also, some thoughts about the development of our colonies right now. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 342 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company British Beekeepers Association Northumberland Honey Trap-X Hornet Trap Thorne ...
May 18, 2025•19 min•Season 1Ep. 342
In this week's Podcast: It’s on your marks, get set, and Go! We’ve carried out our first brief, but important inspections along with some Spring cleaning and as usual, it’s a mixed bag. Listen in to find out how I got on. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 341 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways: Early Release & Additional Video and Podcast Content - Access Here Stewart's Beekeeping Bas...
May 04, 2025•19 min•Season 1Ep. 341
In this week's Podcast: T oday I’m joined by Simon Mildren, Founder and CEO of Hivekeepers and his Micro Honey Harvester to find out more about this interesting piece of kit and how it might change the way you extract honey. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 340 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Find out more about Hivekeepers Micro Honey Harvester here Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways: Early Release & Additional Vi...
Apr 27, 2025•52 min•Season 1Ep. 340
In this week's Podcast: Well it’s turned cold and I’m looking almost hourly at the long-range forecast for a glimmer of warmer weather, it’s not far off and we have colonies in desperate need of some settled, warmer weather to be sure. I’m filling my time by considering our queen-rearing plans and the role of the Finisher Colony, listen in for my thoughts on that and other beekeeping challenges. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 339 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Contact Me ...
Apr 20, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 339
In this week's Podcast: Another warm week and the bees are out flying, it’s a delight to see. I’m still not carrying out inspections, it’s way too early, I am however, thinking about queen rearing and the process of cell production using the Cloake Board method. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 338 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways: Early Release & Additional Video and Podcast Conte...
Apr 13, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 338
In this week's Podcast: It's warm and I’ve no doubt that bee hives are going to be inspected all over the UK in the coming days, I have a cautionary tale for you. Also, following on from last week, today I'm having a think about colonies used for queen cell development, particularly, the Cloake Board method, it's one I've used and had success with in the past. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 337 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Ou...
Apr 06, 2025•20 min•Season 1Ep. 337
In this week's Podcast: We’re having a strangely warm week and our bees are taking advantage without any delay. It’s great to have an opportunity to watch them bringing early pollen and my thoughts are once again turning to the various methods of queen rearing we might employ this season. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 336 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Henry Alley's Queen Rearing Book Queen Excluder Frame Trap Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping C...
Mar 30, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 336
In this week's Podcast: The weather’s warming up, if only for a week or so, and I’m thinking about the various queens rearing methods we might use this year. Today, it’s the turn of the Nicot queen-rearing system, and I’ll do my best to explain how it all fits together! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 335 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways: Early Release & Additional Video and Podca...
Mar 23, 2025•20 min•Season 1Ep. 335
In this week's Podcast: It's cold, damp and February! A beekeeper could easily get a little down at the thought of there being no end to this Winter in sight, but not me! I'm already thinking about those warmer Spring days and my thoughts are turning towards replacing winter losses and basic queen rearing. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 334 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Beginners Courses at Thorne Beehives Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Commu...
Mar 16, 2025•16 min•Season 1Ep. 334
In this week's Podcast: What do you do if you find your colony has died out over winter? Give up and start another hobby, or learn from the experience and become a better beekeeper? I’m all for the second option and hopefully, today’s podcast might help you understand why your colony has died out over the winter months. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 333 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following w...
Mar 09, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 333
In this week's Podcast: It seems that Monday of this past week has been dubbed “Blue Monday”, not a day for swearing profusely, but rather an apparent nod to people feeling depressed after a Christmas and New Year of excess. Not so for us beekeepers, always optimistic we look forward to the promise that Spring is not far away and the start of another busy beekeeping season. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 332 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey C...
Mar 02, 2025•16 min•Season 1Ep. 332
In this week's Podcast: It's 2025, and the New Year begins with some funny old weather. I've been out completing Oxalic Acid Treatments, so stay tuned to hear how that went. With the new season somewhere on the distant horizon, I'm starting to finalise my plans for the new season. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 331 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways: Early Release & Additional Vide...
Feb 23, 2025•17 min•Season 1Ep. 331
In this week's Podcast: I'm joined by Lynne Ingram, Master Beekeeper and holder of the National Diploma in Beekeeping to discuss the results of a sample of my honey that underwent metagenomic DNA testing. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 330 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Take a look at the MDA Website here To get the most from this podcast, take a look at my specific results report here Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ...
Feb 02, 2025•40 min•Season 1Ep. 330
In this week's Podcast: It's a windy old start to the Winter period with yet another storm blowing across the British Isles, battering coastlines and blowing over trees. Hopefully, we've all done enough to keep ourselves and our hives safe and secure. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 329 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Glass Quilts for Beehives Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways: Early Release & Additional Video an...
Jan 26, 2025•15 min
In this week's Podcast: I'm joined by Bee Farmer, Paul Horton from Apidea Honey to discuss is incredible beekeeping season dubbed "The Perfect Storm". Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 328 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Apidea Honey Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways: Early Release & Additional Video and Podcast Content - Access Here Stewart's Beekeeping Basics Facebook Private Group - Click Here Twitter - @Norfolk...
Jan 19, 2025•42 min
In this week's Podcast: I'm joined by James Knights, current chair of Asian Hornet Alert to talk about their approach to this invasive species. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 327 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Asian Hornet Alert website www.asianhornetalert.org.uk WhatsApp Group telephone number as discussed: 07565 775 020 Asian Hornet Watch Details National Bee Unit link Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways: Early Re...
Jan 12, 2025•31 min•Ep. 327
In this week's Podcast: As most of you will know, I’ve had a couple of weeks away from the podcast and videos to recuperate after my recent visit to the hospital. Today I wanted to give you a personal update and talk briefly about my beekeeping plans for the next few weeks. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 326 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways: Early Release & Additional Video and P...
Jan 05, 2025•13 min•Season 1Ep. 326
In this week's Podcast: It’s incredible to think that today, the 25th October 2024, the local temperature is hitting 19° Celsius, it all seems lovely right now but what are the implications for our honeybees as we head through the Winter, listen in for my thoughts. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 325 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways: Early Release & Additional Video and Podcast...
Dec 01, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 325
In this week's Podcast: The sun has been shining and we’ve experienced much warmer weather than we would normally expect at this time of the year. Our bees are out scouring their range in search of food and still bringing back plenty of pollen. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 324 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Thorne Beehives Soft Set Honey Equipment: Hand Held Creamer Spiral Mixer Honey Bucket with Tap Warming jacket Warming Cabinet Zoetis 5ml Dosing Syringe Contact Me at...
Nov 17, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 324
In this week's Podcast: It should have come as no real surprise, it is October after all. But this week I experienced my first frosty morning at home which means out in the apiaries it was probably a little colder. Later the same day our bees were out flying in warm Autumn sunshine, in other news, it’s also time to consider Oxalic Acid treatments, if you’re using them. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 323 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Thorne Beehives Soft Set Honey Equi...
Nov 03, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 323
In this week's Podcast: Ongoing Autumn checks are continuing to reveal, for the most part, some very healthy colonies that are well provisioned for the cold weeks that lay ahead, hefting confirms some weighty Langstroth brood boxes. It’s why I like them. I did however discover one colony that had failed and today I want to talk through how you too can spot the signs and prevent disease from swamping your apiaries. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 322 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short ...
Oct 27, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 322
In this week's Podcast: It’s been rather cooler this past week, especially overnight. Not that I’ve seen any frost you understand but it feels like we’ve begun the long journey through to next Spring. Elsewhere, it’s been getting very hot in the honey room, too hot in fact, listen in to hear why! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 321 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways: Early Release &a...
Oct 20, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 321
In this week's Podcast: I recently used some Formic Pro to treat a colony showing severe signs of Varroa damage, so much so I think they may have been close to collapse. Well the results are in, stay tuned to hear if I managed to save them or if, sadly, I’m cleaning out another bee hive. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 320 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Formic Pro Website HERE Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways: E...
Oct 13, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 320
